1.
STRATEGY PRINCIPLES
TIPS TO WRITE A GREAT STRATEGY
Presented by Valerie Nguyen

2.
HOW ARE YOU?

3.
“ ”GOOD.

4.
“ ”GOOD.
“ ”FINE.

5.
“ ”GOOD.
“ ”FINE.
“ ”HOW ARE YOU?

6.
99% of people walk around
99% of the time
talking about 1% of their emotions.

7.
The other 1% of people are strategists.

8.
MOST STRATEGIES ARE SIMPLE.
MOST STRATEGIES ARE CLEVER.
BUT GREAT STRATEGIES
ARE ALWAYS EMOTIONAL.

9.
EMOTION UNLOCKS ATTENTION.
EMOTION UNLOCKS CHANGE.
EMOTION UNLOCKS RELATIONSHIPS.

10.
BUSINESS PROBLEMS
WHY
CREATIVE SOLUTIONS
WHAT
THE ROLE
OF STRATEGY

11.
STRATEGY
HOW
BUSINESS PROBLEMS
WHY
CREATIVE SOLUTIONS
WHAT
FIGURE OUT WHAT
NEEDS TO BE DONE
GET
SMARTER
THE ROLE
OF STRATEGY

12.
STRATEGY
HOW
BUSINESS PROBLEMS
WHY
CREATIVE SOLUTIONS
WHAT
CREATIVE
BRIEFS
MEASUREMENT &
OPTIMIZATION
THE ROLE
OF STRATEGY
Client provides briefsStrategy proposes briefs
BriefingGuidance

13.
CHALLENGE + INSIGHT + IDEA
CORE ELEMENTS OF STRATEGY

14.
CHALLENGE + INSIGHT + IDEA
CORE ELEMENTS OF STRATEGY
THE PROCESS
(THE FUN PART)

15.
CHALLENGE

16.
BUSINESS
PROBLEM
CREATIVE
CHALLENGE

17.
YOUR CHALLENGE
IS A CHOICE
Any one business problem contains a
multitude of creative challenges.
Determining how you frame up your
creative challenge is half the battle.

18.
FORM SOME
HYPOTHESES AND
START DIGGING
CONSUMER CULTURE
COMPANY CATEGORY
What do people
deeply need or
want that is going
unanswered?
What bigger trends in
culture are impacting
or inspiring our
people?
What is uniquely
compelling about the
product or brand?
How is the
category* serving
people and where
are there gaps?
*Might be more than direct competitors

19.
WHAT MAKES FOR A GOOD CHALLENGE?
- Sets us up for a creative answer
- Identifies the emotional, human barrier to our success
- Simplifies the complexity of the situation by honing in on what’s critical
- Reframes our understanding of the issue
- Begs to be answered: turns a potentially boring problem into an interesting question

20.
INSIGHT

21.
BASED ON OUR
CHALLENGE, WE
NEED TO CONTINUE
TO EXPLORE AND
FIND THE INSIGHT
THAT WILL HELP US
ADDRESS IT
CONSUMER CULTURE
COMPANY CATEGORY
What do people
deeply need or
want that is going
unanswered?
What bigger trends in
culture are impacting
or inspiring our
people?
What is uniquely
compelling about the
product or brand?
How is the
category* serving
people and where
are there gaps?
*Might be more than direct competitors

22.
THE INSIGHT IS
YOUR UNFAIR ADVANTAGE.

23.
THE INSIGHT MIGHT MAKE
YOU UNCOMFORTABLE AT FIRST.

24.
THE INSIGHT IS
A PLOT TWIST.

25.
THE INSIGHT CAN
STAND ON ITS OWN.

26.
IDEA

27.
WE ARE STRATEGISTS.
WE HAVE IDEAS.
(AND THEN OUR IDEAS HAVE IDEAS)
WE ARE STRATEGISTS.
WE HAVE IDEAS.
(AND THEN OUR IDEAS HAVE IDEAS)

28.
A STRATEGIC IDEA IS HOW
WE’RE GOING TO WIN.

29.
A STRATEGIC IDEA DIRECTS AND
LIMITS OUR (CREATIVE) ACTIONS.

30.
TWO PRIMARY FORMS
PURPOSE PROPOSITION
An action-oriented
reason to exist (for
brand or campaign)
The main takeaway
you want people to
walk away with

31.
I CAN’T DO THIS. I’M STUPID.
I’M A CLICHE. THAT’S A DUMB
IDEA. WHO DO I THINK I AM?
THIS FEELS RIGHT BUT WHAT DO
I KNOW? WAIT IS THIS EVEN A
STRATEGY? WHAT AM I DOING?
DOES THIS MAKE SENSE? AM I
EVEN A STRATEGIST? MY BRAIN
THIS IS WHERE WE
GET EMOTIONAL ON
A PERSONAL LEVEL.
This is the moment when the doubt might start to creep in.
This is the moment where cracking it will seem impossible —
until it isn't. Keep going. You got this.

32.
REMEMBER TO TAKE
YOUR IDEAS FOR A WALK!
● Talk to your creatives early and often
● Explain it to your mom (or a rubber duck)
● Prototype it - make some ideas and put them
out into the real world to test

33.
PUTTING
IT ALL
TOGETHER

34.
CHALLENGE + INSIGHT + IDEA
CORE ELEMENTS OF STRATEGY
THE PROCESS
(THE FUN PART)

35.
“MAKE THE COMPLEX SIMPLE.
AND THEN MAKE THE SIMPLE INSPIRING.”

36.
TRUST YOUR GUT.
FLEX YOUR FEELINGS.
GET EMOTIONAL.

37.
THANKS